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Thursday, January 19, 2012

QST is going digital..............

This afternoon when I checked my email there was a very interesting email from the ARRL. In June of this year QST is going digital!!
Well almost they are still going to offer their paper addition but ARRL
members will also have access (free of charge) to the QST digital
version. The digital version will have some content that is only offered
in the digital layout along with videos and hyper-links. Now if you are
a regular reader of this blog you may remember back in August of 2011 I
posted about Monitoring Times digital addition. They
were offering a digital only subscription at a cheaper price than the
paper version. I went for it and well...it was the reason the alarm
bells went off when I read my email from the ARRL's regarding the
introduction of a digital version of QST. I have to admit I have had
the digital version of Monitoring Times for 5 months now and well this
digital thing sounds very sci-fi and geeky...BUT......it just has not
worked out for me. For example on December 17th I was emailed the new
Monitoring times issue.....it's still in my Hotmail in box a month
later. It's almost time for the next issue!!! There sure are some cool
things about the digital issue with the hyper-links and instant emailing
feedback to articles.
I have come to the conclusion there is
nothing like the paper version. There is something to say for pulling
out a periodical when you have a spare minute. With the digital version I
found this very hard to do. It's not easy to roll up a laptop or Kindle
and toss it in the glove box of the car. I think QST has the right idea
offering both for the same price and not making you chose between the
two. I am looking forward to June and see what this digital version has
to add to the paper version.

10 comments:

When MT first went digital, they allowed a portion of the first few issues to be downloaded for free, as a trial. I found, like you, that it's just not as convenient to read that way. "New" doesn't always mean "better".

Hi Mike, I totally agree... nothing beats the paper copy magazine.. I have a few PDF books on my computer, but I never take the time to read them.....paper copy everytime for me.... That goes for QSL cards as well, eQSL's or OK...but nothing beats a card through the letterbox..... 73 de Mark MW0MJB

Good morning John, once again I have learned from my mistakes. The digital copy sounded great at the time but not very handy at all. Hello Mark, it's true a PDF on a PC has its limits. As for QSL's I like Eqsl and LOTW when I get the paper QSL's I look at them once then I have to figure out where to put them. I find it handy the way Eqsl and LOTW can track awards for you as well. So for me that side of the digital world has worked out very well.

I like reading on the computer, which has links enabled to different web sites. For the article which I do enjoy, I simply "print" just that item and use it for reference since I rarely read every article in any magazine, and sometimes there isn't a thing in an entire magazine that captures my attention.

I can also carry years worth of magazines in a "thumb drive" the size of a small pocket knife. The entire PDF file can easily be transferred to my Kindle. Although it's a little cumbersome to orient into the "landscape mode" for good reading. It's perfect for a net-book. (Eee-PC)

It saves millions of trees, countless labor hours of printing, and thousands of dollars in shipping costs. I still think it's the wave of the future....

I've read the digital edition of "Monitoring Times" ever since the first day they offered it. The post office can loose the paper edition (most of the time it's just destroyed by a reckless carrier) or it's delivered to the wrong address.

I used to keep every issue of QST, 73, Ham Radio, and CQ in case I wanted to look back for a construction or technical article I wanted to refer to. I would have had to rent a warehouse eventually. How many times have I wished I had digital copies of all that invaluable information, AND searchable to boot. I wish QST would offer a non-hardcopy subscription at a discount and let me spend the dollars saved on equipment. The savings in printing and postage costs alone ought to be worth a small fortune, but I'm betting such a digital-only subscription would be darned near the current rate with hardcopy.

Good afternoon John, for sure I see digital as being the way of the future. There is something to be said for having the magazine (digital format) as it comes off the " press" sort of speak. I seem to get my snail mail QST and CQ after everyone else. But technology and me have not caught up to each other. I am lagging when it comes to downloading and reading. As for having the complete year there is the CD format but that comes for a price. Thanks for your insight John and have a great weekend.

Good afternoon anonymous, I would think that QST is dipping the digital idea in the waters of a trial. They may be awaiting the feed back before going to a fully digital addition subscription. I will say it is good they have gone this far and it may be just time for me to get used to the whole digital world of magazines. Thanks for stopping by the blog and sharing.

Good evening Stewart, I had no idea that RAC was heading down the digital road. Good to hear and look forward to checking it out. Thanks for bringing that to my attention and for taking the time to comment.

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About Me

I've been a ham radio operator since 1989 my interests in ham radio vary from contesting, low power operation (know as QRP) and building Elecraft radios. In the last 4 years my interest in kit building has taken off. I have built the Elecraft KX1,K2 and the KX3. Some other kits include the LP-Pan,LP-100,4SQRPometer..and the list goes on. I hope you enjoy your stop at my blog and find it informative. Feel free to leave a comment!
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Mike